Microsoft's set a date, laid out their prices and started taking orders, but cheapskates: don't fret! You've still got until the 20th to get a near-finished version of the OS for free. Which you should, for all kinds of reasons.

The obvious ones: Microsoft is still using this to test for bugs, so you using a late-stage Release Candidate now equals faster security and usability updates after Windows 7 later. But more importantly, you get to try Windows 7 for an extended period now—you'll have until March before Microsoft starts forcefully shutting your computer down every two hours—before you commit to buying. Thursday may be your last day to nab an official download, but even then, Microsoft says they'll be handing out license keys for a while; you'll just have to supply your own copy of Windows. Microsoft is practically asking telling you to torrent Windows.